January 20, 2025 - Flash Of Color

 

Now you see it....now you don't!  A Anna's Hummingbird flashes it's iridescent red gorget for the camera. The Anna is the northernmost year-round range of any hummingbird.  On this sunny, above freezing day they seemed to be much more active than they've been in the last few days as temperatures fell below freezing at night.                                                                                                                                                           

 

November 28, 2024 - Straight Shot

 

At the most southern end of Seattle's Magnuson Park, artist perri lynch's "Straight Shot" begins.  It was installed in 2007.  The 12 ink jade limestone pillars are precisely aligned. The distance between each pillars doubles with the most northern one exactly one kilometer north.  The pair of drilled holes in each stone are also precisely aligned.  Chances are if you've been to the park you may have seen a lone stone north of the soccer fields.   Perhaps you may have also noticed one or two of them near the boat launch.  The next time you're there look around to see if you can spot the rest of the sculpture.

Before becoming a municipal park this was the location of Seattle's first airport.  It's very likely that a visitor was aware that this was once a Naval Air Station - it's hard not to recognize the hangers and buildings still located on the north end of the park! The Navy began construction in 1922 and at the time of Pearl Harbor was one of just three Naval Air Stations on the west coast.  In 1924 the first aerial circumnavigation started and ended here in the Sandpoint neighborhood. Air operations ended here in 1970 with support operations continuing until 1991.  

   

 

April 6, 2024 - Boys and Girls, Men and Women, in the Boats

 

This year's Husky Open featured a pair of collegiate races and 31 races involving local club and high school teams.  The Men's Masters 8 boat 55+ was won by the Ancient Mariners with a US Rowing Age handicap listed as 66 years. The Men's Masters quad, 40+ had an age handicap of 71! 

The 2000 meter course starts in Lake Washington and ends at the west end of the Montlake Cut.  Rowers pass by the ASUW Shell House in the shadows of Husky Stadium as they enter the Cut.  Originally built as a Navy seaplane hangar in 1918, it served as the UW shell house from 1920 to 1949.  

March 19, 2024 - Social Media and Sakura

 

The number of visitors to the cherry blossoms in the quad at the University of Washington has exploded.  Instagram started in October of 2010 and by 2018 had 1 billion users.  

The photo above was taken on a weekend of Spring Quarter of 1989.     

The photo below was taken this year during UW's Spring Break. On a Tuesday. At midday.